Hufflepuff isn't Stupid
by N. Forest
Summary: 30 drabbles about the Hufflepuff house and its students. Each one featuring different characters, most original. Warnings: AU, canon character death Cedric and general fluffiness this is Hufflepuff after all
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own stuff. JKR does.

_Note: I finished this series awhile ago. It's 30 drabbles, all about Hufflepuff and the students that live there. They're already all posted on my livejournal. I'll post them here now, whenever I remember to. :)_

#1 Beginnings

Helga Hufflepuff looked nervously around the common room of Badger house. It was neatly decorated in bright yellow with black to offset it. Her robes matched in sunny yellow, if only the students would hurry up and arrive!

"Ready yet?" Salazar stuck his head in through the door. He smirked at the sight of her perfect looking display. "I pity the soul who arrives first. You'll smooth him to death with your excitement."

Helga looked angrily at her close friend. Sometimes his comments hurt more than he intended. "And what about you? Have you realised that no one's going to come to the dungeons this year? I can't understand why you'd make your home there."

Salazar shrugged. "I've already got three students. Of course, they aren't mine yet. But by nightfall they'll be snakes. Officially." He grinned openly and took a seat on one of the overstuffed couches. The Badger common room reminded him vaguely of something that he'd find in a fussy old lady's house. It was too bright, stuffy and tightly packed.

The discussion that the four founders had held on sorting the students still stuck out in Helga's mind. All of her friends declaring which students they thought were worthy, which they would train as their own. Helga was disappointed. Usually they could get along and work together. The system of houses just struck her as. . .wrong. Dividing the students, turning them against each other.

And what about those who didn't fit into any of the houses? If they were pureblood and brave and intelligent? Those who made witty banter would be welcome as snakes or ravens, depending on their blood. Helga feared for her friends. They were arguing among themselves and school hadn't even started yet! She was determined to welcome everyone. Those who wanted to be in Slytherin without the blood, those who weren't strong enough for Godric or smart enough for Rowena.

"Well then." Salazar got to his feet and straightened his dress robes. They were neat and tidy, the same way he was. Helga never understood how he managed to keep such a pristine appearance when he taught Defence Against the Dark Arts. Spells flew hectically around the classroom. Godric always ended up covered in goo by the time classes in the potion labs had ended. "I'd better be going. See to my snakes."

Helga nodded, giving him a hug and kiss on the cheek. They were still best friends, even if he got on her nerves more often than he helped them. It was almost as if he were an annoying brother. "See you tonight. At the feast. And maybe some of your snakes will join the badgers."

Salazar left, humming under his breath. Things were looking up. Maybe his friends would finally understand why he wanted to keep muggleborns out, if his luck kept on coming.

"Professor?" Octavius Diggory stepped into the Badger common room. "Professor Slytherin said that I could find you in here. He mentioned something about a new house system."

Cynthia Longbottom entered and stood next to her boyfriend. "Hello Professor. Have a good summer?"

Helga looked at the two students in front of her and gave them a huge smile. _These are the students I want in Badger house, Hufflepuff – my house!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I don't own stuff. JKR does.

_Note: Here's number 2._

#2 Middles

"Cedric, you'll do fine."

Cedric Diggory nodded, trying not to let his girlfriend, Cho Chang, see his nervousness. The second task was only a day away and the pressure was starting to get to him. "I should practice the bubble charm again. Do some lengths in the Prefects bathroom."

Cho smiled as she remembered the last swimming practice. Cedric had invited her to join him and they'd spent more time kissing and admiring each other than they did swimming. But still, the water had been nice and snogging while treading water as a very interesting and sensational experience. One that she wouldn't mind having again.

"You going to join me?" Cedric asked, pulling playfully on a piece of his girlfriend's hair. "Go for a late night swim, there's still a hour or two left before curfew. And I'm a prefect."

A smile filled Cho's face and she slid away from Cedric. "You'll just have to give me a minute. A moment to get my swimming things." She took his hand and they proceeded to leave the library. Cedric nodded at Harry Potter when they passed him and his friends paging through a good section of the library.

Cho and Cedric walked through the halls for as long as was practical. Ravenclaw tower and the Hufflepuff common room weren't close together, but they weren't exactly far apart. They shared one last kiss before hurrying in their separate ways, both wanting to see the other again as soon as possible.

Cedric couldn't get ready to leave fast enough. He grabbed his swim trunks and pulled them on under his robes before making sure his wand was in its holster and neatly polished. After all, it wasn't fitting for a champion to improperly represent his or her school. Cedric wanted people to be proud and respectful of Hogwarts.

With his swim trunks on and his homework complete, Cedric left the Hufflepuff common room and set off in the direction of Ravenclaw and the Prefects bathroom. Cho would be in between the two. It was only a matter of time before he found her.

Cedric and Cho met up three corridors away from the Prefects bathroom. They greeted one another with a soft and gentle kiss before starting off towards the bathroom hand in hand.

Cho loved the way Cedric's hand felt in hers. It was warm and large. Big enough to make her feel protected and pretty, like a fairy tale princess. But it wasn't so big that it was clumsy or ugly. And he was skilful. His wand work was amazing and he kissed wonderfully.

"Cho, Cho!"

The couple turned back to face the Ravenclaw girl running towards them. Cho recognised her as one of the first years. Petra Finch was her name and she tended to suck up to the teachers.

"Professor McGonagall needs to see you in her office, right now!" Petra stopped in front of the two.

As Cho gave Cedric one last smile before walking off with the first year he couldn't help his own thoughts of her. _I truly love that girl. I don't know what I'd ever do without her._

He didn't know that he was going to be without her, until he rescued her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I don't own stuff. JKR does.

_Note: Here's number 3._

Warning: Canon character death.

#3 Ends

The end of the year always accompanied a feeling of sadness in Hufflepuff. The seventh years would be graduating and everyone else's schedule would be changing. It took most of the students an entire year to happily settle into their new systems and become organised. And that would all be changing.

After NEWTS, OWLS and normal exams ended there was parties galore. Each year held a party, the house held a party and Professor Sprout organised another. It was fun, and very Hufflepuff. Everyone hugging and relaxing after exams. Letting all the stress just wash away.

Parties had already been scheduled, the seventh years first. But this year things were different. Cedric Diggory had died, the Dark Lord had , supposedly, returned. The sombre mood definitely put a damper on the festivities.

The four girls and three boys in Cedric's year were quiet and upset. Cho Chang had cried for ages, coming to Hufflepuff for a remembrance celebration. Yet it wasn't as depressing as a funeral.

"He always had something nice to say. And he never really got into fights." Theresa said, to start them off. "He helped me study in Potions and was my partner in second year. Even though it was pretty clear I was going to fail."

Simon laughed as he remembered the incident. "You studied a lot. At least, you claimed you did. And even with all the extra practice your practical skills weren't very good. But Cedric said he'd help."

"I dropped the ingredients in at the wrong times. And we got in a fight about what came first." Theresa told them. "He was a good sport, still talked to me. Even though I wrecked his chances at getting a decent mark in Potions."

Cho gave a sad little chuckle. "Cedric never cared too much about marks. He wouldn't have fit into Ravenclaw. But all the Ravenclaws got along with him, they accepted him!" Theresa rubbed the girl's back as she began to cry again. Cedric's touch would have been more comforting, but it wasn't available.

Cedric's girlfriend and peers continued to talk late into the night. Sharing funny stories of the time that he accidently turned his clothing invisible in charms, and tales of his Quidditch matches and the only game that Hufflepuff had ever won. And even though they'd won, Cedric had demanded a rematch. Said the dementors made things unfair.

"Oh my goodness, you're still up?" Professor Sprout asked when she came in to secure the house for the night. It was the wee hours of the morning and even though exams were over school rules were still in effect.

Cho got up quickly and picked up the photos she'd brought of Cedric. "Sorry professor. I'll be leaving now." She headed to the door, stopping and turning back before leaving, "thank you. I really needed that."

"We'll got to bed too now professor." Theresa told her head of house. "I didn't mean to stay up so late. We just started talking and the hours slipped by."

Professor Sprout smiled in understanding. Soon her students would be leaving her, she wouldn't see them everyday and they'd move to their own lives. And she knew what it was like to lose a friend. Cedric had been popular, kind, friendly. The kind of person who attracted lots of friends. And now it was a bad thing. Too many people upset, too many goodbyes that had to be made.

"Don't worry," Pomona reassured them, "there's no reason why you can't speak about your friends. Remember him in life, his love and energy. And remember him forever." She smiled as they slowly gathered up their supplies and proceeded up to their dormitories.


	4. Chapter 4

#4 Re-starting

If at first you don't succeed, try again! That's the message that runs across the mantel of the fireplace in the Hufflepuff common room. It has inspired many students and given them the motivation to strive for success.

But for Cynthia Gavron it brought only aggravation. She had a hard enough time dealing with being muggleborn add entering a whole new world onto that and she was mad enough to kill!

"I can't do this!" Cynthia read over the last question that Professor Snape had assigned for homework and threw her quill down. _I hate quills. And ink and Potions!_ She read over the book again, trying to make sense of the assignment. It just didn't make sense!

The other Hufflepuffs gave her sympathetic looks, but none of them intervened. They'd all been in that place and it wasn't fun. But unless the first year could learn to work on her own, there wasn't much hope for her. And Hufflepuffs like hope and other happy things.

Cynthia gave the questions she had answered a last look to make sure the ink was dry before shoving the paper roughly in her book and slamming it shut. The physical expression of her frustration made her feel much better. And it made her want to punch someone.

The questions could have gone undone for that night, if the assignment hadn't been procrastinated. Cynthia had to hand the questions in the next day and Snape was not an understanding teacher, especially if you weren't a Slytherin.

As soon as the last question was finished, Cynthia would be released from the Hufflepuff rule bond and she could do as she liked. Until then there was simply time to waste. And a question to do within the next hour since curfew was fast approaching.

As the clock ticked, Hufflepuffs watched Cynthia. They watched her do her reading and glare at her Potions work. They watched her study for Transfiguration and glare at her Potions textbook. And there was more glaring going on then working.

In one of the corners, the daily prefects meeting was going on. The six prefects met and discussed issues that were affecting their house and upcoming events. And what to do about muggleborns and the best ways to help house elf equality bills to pass.

The meeting adjourned and Suzanne Zou caught her friend's arm before she could leave the common room. Like Cynthia, Suzanne was muggleborn and she related to the difficulties Cynthia was experiencing. But unlike her best friend Clarissa Norton, she had failed Potions in second year and every year after that. She was not the one you wanted to offer to assist you with Potions homework.

"You should give her a hand." Suzanne said, nodding towards the fireplace where Cynthia was procrastinating. "That firstie could use some help with Potions."

Clarissa nodded and smiled her thanks to Suzanne. She hurried up to her dormitory to drop off her prefect notes and grab her Potions ones. Clarissa loved Potions, she wanted to be a Potions Master and there was a good chance of her getting into the field since so few people applied. She was the only Hufflepuff in Snape's NEWT level class.

"Hello, you look like you could use a hand." Clarissa said with a smile, plunking her books down next to Cynthia's. "What's troubling you?"

Cynthia pulled her Potions book over and opened it in front of her. "I don't understand these questions and they're due tomorrow!" She complained dramatically. "Snape assigned them just to be mean!"

Clarissa smiled. "He just wants you to learn. Remember, a potion isn't something you can study and understand. You have to create it, make it. And the prep work outside of class lets you get more brewing done."

Cynthia nodded. "I guess. But I still don't get this!" She thumped the Potions book in front of her.

"I was getting to that." Clarissa said with a smile. "Let me explain."

And with a new perspective and a bit of help the Potions homework was finished and a new relationship formed between Clarissa Norton and the first year Hufflepuff students. They all knew who to go to for help with Potions.


End file.
